Gray on the way

Gray, once feted by Steve Bruce as a possible answer to England’s left side problem will be leaving St Andrew’s when his contract expires at the end of June.

Acquired from Crystal Palace in June 2004 as a left-winger, he initially showed promise.

However, he suffered during Blues’ relegation season from having to fill in at left-back when the squad was racked with injuries.

Although he clearly had the speed to run down the channels, he was not a natural defender and was labelled a ‘bottler’ by a section of the fans.

Being played out of position clearly affected his confidence and having to fight for the place taken up by Gary McSheffrey clearly proved too much for him.

Gray’s appearances this season numbered only seven in the league and three in cup competitions. Within that time he acquired two yellow cards and a red for a professional foul in the 1-1 draw at the Hawthorns in March.

Rumours of interest from Reading and Charlton are currently circulating. A fresh start could revive a career that has stalled over the last couple of years and either of these clubs could prove to be a good choice.